Govt Committed to Forming Panel on MSP as Announced by PM: Narendra Singh Tomar

The EC has said that the committee should be formed after the elections conclude, the agriculture minister said.

(Photo: The Quint)

Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar, on Friday, 4 February, in the Rajya Sabha, provided assurance that the government was committed to setting up a panel on Minimum Support Price (MSP) to insure agricultural producers.

He added that the committee will be formed after the elections.

"The Election Commission's response has come. It has said that the committee should be formed after the elections conclude," the agriculture minister said.

Responding to a supplementary question during Rajya Sabha's Question Hour, the agriculture minister stated that the government had written to the Election Commission with regard to Assembly elections in five states. He added that they are considering the matter of setting up a committee on MSP and that it will be formed after the elections.

"The entire country knows that the prime minister has announced the formation of a committee to make crop diversification, natural farming and MSP effective and transparent. The government is committed to the announcement made by the PM. The matter is under consideration of the ministry."

Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

The minister explained that because the elections were going on, the government had reached out to the EC for guidance.

Tomar, further in his address, noted that the farmer was the grain producer of the country and, thus, should receive the appropriate rate for his production. The government is dedicated to doing this, he said.

"As far as MSP is concerned, 50 percent profit will be given on the base price," Tomar added, going on to say that the aim of the government, was to give profit to the farmers.

While announcing the repealment of three farm laws in November last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to form a committee to talk about the farmers' demand of legal guarantee on MSP.

The Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in five states including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur, and Goa.